DLGO cites infrastructure gaps after severe weather causes flooding in Nicosia district

Nicosia, Cyprus. The Nicosia District Local Government Organisation said the most serious problems following severe weather on Saturday were recorded in Engomi, Archangelos and Pediaios, with much of the damage linked to structural gaps and missing infrastructure.

DLGO President Constantinos Yiorkadjis said the organisation was examining the causes of flooding and preparing both immediate measures and longer-term projects.

Engomi and fragmented drainage networks

Yiorkadjis said the DLGO was examining why Engomi does not have a complete stormwater pipe network, why 28th October Street floods despite being a modern road, and why two planned retention lakes remain unfinished.

He said solutions to these large-scale problems would not be immediate because they require significant new infrastructure.

Yiorkadjis attributed the problems to fragmented governance before Nicosia’s local government reform, when ten separate municipalities managed their own stormwater networks. He said the district had inherited ten disconnected networks with inconsistent maintenance and no unified system.

The DLGO inherited the network when it was established, he said, adding that works needed to address decades of shortcomings could not be completed within a year and a half.

Storm preparation and maintenance

Yiorkadjis said the DLGO has a dedicated unit that cleans and maintains stormwater pipes every day, rather than only before storms.

He said crews cleared some locations for the first time in years, and in certain cases decades, based on vegetation found at the sites.

When the Department of Meteorology issues a yellow warning, the DLGO coordinates with the district’s five municipalities to inspect known problem areas, he said. Crews were positioned at those points during Saturday’s storm and cleared drainage grates.

Yiorkadjis said the grates were clear before the rain began, but strong winds carried leaves, branches and litter onto them. Crews then had to remove the debris again after rainfall started to allow water to drain.

Planned infrastructure projects

Construction is due to begin imminently on an enclosed pipe for the Vasilopotamos, also known as Kotsirka, river beneath Digeni Akrita Avenue, Yiorkadjis said. The project is valued at more than €2 million.

In the area between Lakatamia and Strovolos near the APOEL stadium, which he described as facing major problems, the DLGO is proceeding with a study for new stormwater pipes. Construction is expected to begin in early 2027.

Yiorkadjis said a new charge of 0.05 per thousand for stormwater infrastructure raises about €2 million annually. The aim is to finance one project of approximately €2 million each year to gradually address longstanding infrastructure gaps.